A supplement to Table of 3 At Home with Jim Jane Page offers a glimpse at the man behind the uniform By Jane Page Contents 4 Lasting Legacy 16 Bucking the System The life & times of Jim Page As North Carolina’s first state EMS director, By A.J. Heightman Jim faced down politicians & changed the face of EMS By William K. Atkinson, PhD, MPH, EMT-P 5 The Gravity of Charm Never underestimate the power of sincerity 19 A Class ACT By Michelle Garrido Jim Page’s push for improved cardiac care By Mary Newman 6 First, He Changed Everything Jim’s fire service colleagues celebrate his life, 21 A Real Page Turner legacy & vision of what the fire service could be Jim’s vision & persistence result in launch of JEMS Kick the Big Door Wide Open By Keith Griffiths By Alan V. Brunacini, Chief, Phoenix Fire Department 24 Tipping the Scales You Can Go Home Again As an attorney, Jim fought to protect the interests By Tim Murphy, Chief, of the individual provider & firefighter Monterey Park Fire Department By Doug Wolfberg, JD, & Steve Wirth, JD The Glass Half Empty By John Price, Captain (ret.), 26 The Man & His Machines Los Angeles County Fire Department Showcasing Jim’s passion for the preservation & restoration of antique fire apparatus 10 The Road Less Traveled By Paul Schneider Jim Page’s amazing tour of small-town fire & EMS By Jeff Berend 28 What We Remember Jim’s spirit lives on in his family, friends & colleagues 12 Lights! Camera! Sirens! Action! Jim Page’s impact on Emergency! & its influence over 30 A Fitting Tribute early paramedic system development worldwide Memorial service honors the ‘father of modern EMS’ By A.J. Heightman & Richard Yokley By Kristi Savino Legacy of James O. Page An editorial supplement to JEMS and FireRescue Magazine Publisher/General Manager Jeff Berend Associate Publisher Tim Francis Editors A.J. Heightman & Michelle Garrido Senior Editor Keri Losavio Production Manager Michael Magabilin Supplement Art Director Jason Pelc Cover Design Liliana Estep Graphics Designer Kristy D. Enlow Contributing Photographers Glen Ellman, the Page family, Tom Page, Bryan Sakamoto and others Subscriber Services Manager Kevin Flanagan Marketing Director Debbie Murray Sales Representatives Sheri Collins, Cheryl Kaufman, Steve Skinner Jems Staff Dawn Barrett-Smith, Lisa A. Bell, Olga Berdial, Liz Coyle, Hilary Crocker, Cindy Devone-Pacheco, Christine Erickson, Janelle Foskett, Marion Angell Garza, Jed Henson, Zach Manuel, Lynn Papenhausen, Mary Ryan, Kristi Savino, Laura Smith, Erica Tower, Kathy Whitehead, Elizabeth Zook Founding Editor Keith Griffiths Legacy of James O. Page is published by Jems Communications, 525 B Street, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101-4495; 800/266-5367 (fed. ID #13-935377). Copyright 2005 Elsevier Inc. No material may be reproduced or uploaded on computer network services without the expressed permission of the publisher. Subscription information: To subscribe to a Jems Communications publication, visit www.jems.com. Advertising information: Rates are available on request. Contact Jems Communications Advertising Department at 525 B Street, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101-4495; 800/266-5367. 2 James O. Page Legacy By Jane Page At Home with Jim Jane Page offers a glimpse at the man behind the uniform im Page may have spent his our grandchildren and friends for the life in the public eye, but there Christmas afternoon ride in his fire was a place he called home. engine. The world never saw Jim trying J Home was his haven, his inspi- to be a “grill chef,” walking the dog or ration and where his heart resided. A enjoying the quiet times. We were for- bouquet of flowers when he was away tunate to travel the many backroads of or a card under a pillow always America in our RV and admire and reminded me that he missed being bask in the beauty of our country. The Jim and Jane attend a black-tie affair. Jim home and being together. Jim was my silent moments when we could enjoy described Jane as, “the lady who has made husband, best friend and confidant. each other’s company … memories are it all possible. She has kept the home fires We were blessed with four wonderful priceless and never fade. They will burning and cheerfully supported me through ... thousands of days and nights children and six magnificent grand- remain in my heart forever. when I was away on the business of EMS.” children … all made us so proud. Jim worked with his electronic assis- The fire/EMS world, although never tant (his computer) daily, receiving far from our thoughts, never saw our messages and sending typical “Jim Page enjoyment in walking on the beach, Pearls of Wisdom” messages. decorating a Christmas tree or taking Titles meant nothing to Jim. He Jim’s power of recollection amazed me. He remembered names; he remembered dates. Jim’s favorite running path–the Carlsbad (CA) shoreline. enjoyed people and sharing their mes- sages, especially when they were receptive to new and proactive con- cepts. Jim’s power of recollection amazed me. He remembered names; he remembered dates: Ask what he was doing June 16, 1984, and he could relate in great detail that partic- ular day. Amazing! Jim loved running miles in shorts and shoes on sunny winter days at the edge of the Pacific Ocean. He loved his life. He loved his family, and we loved him in return. Jim left all of us a legacy to live and love life as he did. The smile, the laughter, the gentle touch. I’m so very Grandpa Jim holds his very first granddaughter, Olivia Page. Grandma Jane holds their two thankful we had our time to share. He littlest grandchildren, Megan Page and Dylan Ries. Pondering the new pecking order is is missed. JOP grandson Derek Ries, sitting and playing by himself. James O. Page Legacy 3 By A.J. Heightman, Editor, JEMS Lasting Legacy The life & times of Jim Page hortly after the Sept. 16, 2004, in the Los Angeles County Fire his project in New York and moved to memorial service for Jim Page, Department (LACoFD), who often told Basking Ridge, N.J., where he took over where 1,000 friends, family him to stop his push for change. leadership of the Advanced Coronary members and colleagues had But Jim was driven by his vision and Treatment (ACT) Foundation and pro- Sgathered to honor him, I traveled to the continued to push. He was a crafty duced programs, documents and films East Coast to speak at a large confer- opportunist, restless and impatient with that put ALS and CPR in front of, and ence. When Jim’s death was acknowl- rusty traditions and relentless in his on the minds of, the American public. It edged at a keynote address, I heard a pursuit of changes that could save lives was here that Jim produced the award- young EMT sitting near me whisper to and improve the service we render to winning film, A Life in Your Hands. her friend, “Who was Jim Page?” our “customers.” While at the ACT Foundation, Jim Answering that question in a few The TV series Emergency! is an exam- made a decision that would forever words is like trying to contain the mer- ple of how Jim seized an opportunity to change the EMS profession. He decided cury from a broken thermometer in one showcase the new LACoFD paramedic to launch a professional journal to spread place. Yes, he was a lifelong firefighter, a teams, cement their role in the depart- the word about good (and bad) occur- dedicated fire chief, an innovative ment and show the American public the rences in EMS system development. This administrator, a prolific author, a com- level of prehospital care they could (and decision resulted in the birth of JEMS. manding speaker, a generous and articu- should) have available to them. Jim wanted JEMS to offer clinical and late attorney, and a loving husband, Jim was never afraid to move on when administrative content that readers could not get anywhere else. To do this, he recruited the sharpest, and sometimes Jim was able to convince his peers that most controversial, people to write for they could do much more. the journal. This led to watershed articles on such topics as emergency medical dis- father and grandfather. But for those he felt he had achieved as much as he patch (1981), system status management who didn’t know him, a few more words could in his positions. In L.A. County, (1982), do-not-resuscitate orders (1983), are needed to explain who Jim Page was. when his superiors told him his involve- interim standards for AEDs (1985), Foremost, Jim was always a compas- ment in the show Emergency! and his provider stress and suicide (1988), the sionate public servant who had an unpar- push for paramedics and improved EMS need for a reevaluation of the role fire alleled vision for improving and delivery had likely cost him the opportu- departments played in EMS (1989), the expanding EMS and the fire service. nity for further advancement in the impact of violence on emergency respon- Impressed as a child with the role fire- LACoFD, Jim left the department and ders (1990), the evaluation of care fighters played in his community, he moved on to another challenge as chief through continuous quality improvement longed to be one. With his trademark tra- of the North Carolina Office of EMS. (1993) and many others. dition of precision planning and timing, Although not fully appreciated at the JEMS also offered Jim a unique Jim filled out his application for the time, programs Jim launched in North platform to use his wisdom, wit and Monterey Park (Calif.) Fire Department Carolina would later become examples experience to editorialize on employer on his 21st birthday.